Happy 2018, guys! I hope you all had the best time ringing in the new year. I went to a friend of a friends for a little house party and it ended up being the perfect way to close out 2017!We made homemade pizzas, played “Pass the Pigs,” told Alexa to play all of our favorite songs, drank too much champagne, and before we knew it, it was 4 am. I can definitely think of worse ways to celebrate!

It’s been one full year since I created my first seasonal bucket list (you can see how I fared here) and looking back, that seemingly silly little list got me through one of the toughest seasons of my life.

l don’t put a whole lot of pressure on myself to get to everything, which is apparent by the fact that going to a Blackhawks game showed up on my first winter bucket list, my spring bucket list, and spoiler alert: you’ll see it listed below again!

I look at it as a good way to make sure I don’t wake up come season’s end wondering where the time went (and you know I’m all about memory-making!) Most of all though, it’s a way to get through the next three months without losing my sanity. After the holidays, there isn’t a whole lot to get us through the bitter cold days here in Chicago and having a few things tucked away in my back pocket helps when the cabin fever sets in.

So, here it goes!

Take a staycation – Like I said, there’s not much appeal to spend time outside during the winter months here in Chicago (and there’s only so much time you can hang at home before you start to go stir crazy). Insert a staycation! A little mini escape in the city is the perfect remedy.

Visit the AIRE Ancient Baths – This place looks SO insanely cool. It’s basically an elevated spa experience offering up thermal baths, steam rooms with aromatherapy, a flotarium (I’ve been dying to try this out!), massages, and things of that nature. Sign me up for one of everything, please! They also have a location in New York and a few other cities outside the US if you aren’t in Chicago.

Practice yoga for a full week straight – I committed to really giving yoga a chance this time last year and ended up falling in love. I started small by taking the free class my apartment building offered on Monday nights and slowly sprinkled in other classes at Studio Three. I just signed up for a week at a new-to-me spot next door to my apartment called Yoga Six and went to my first hot yoga class with them last night! A week of yoga will be the perfect reset for my mind and body after the crazy holiday season.

Go ice skating – Yet another thing I never checked off of my first winter bucket list, but better late than never, no? I’ll be sure to document all attempts at becoming the 2018 version of Kristi Yamaguchi on Snapchat and Insta Stories.

Try indoor rock climbing – One of the things I really hope to continue to do throughout this year is to challenge my body in new ways and while rock climbing looks like a lot of fun, I know it’s going to put me in my place in the best way possible!

Read three of the books I’ve picked up and since left unfinished – I tend to read in spurts and find myself binge reading more in the winter than, say, in the heat of summer. I’ve never been one to start a book without finishing it within a few weeks, but the last six months or so I haven’t been able to get through one for the life of me! I’m chalking it up to being under more stress than normal. I’ve linked a few of my favorites below and included a few that I hope to finish in the coming months.

Blackhawks game – I’ve been to a slew of Bulls games over the last year and each time I secretly wish I was there to watch hockey instead!

Go see a movie solo – It always comes as a huge shock to people when they find out I don’t have a TV, but once it was gone, I never missed it (I did cave a few months ago and downloaded the free Netflix trial on my laptop so I could watch Master of None and if we’re blessed with a Season 3, I might be singing a different tune). I don’t have the slightest clue what’s out at the movie theatre right now, but a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon solo date to see a new flick sounds like just the thing to get me out of the house. I also really want to watch Alice in Wonderland! It was always a favorite of mine growing up and I think I’d see the movie in a whole new light now that I’m older.

What’s on your winter bucket list?